


Spark Ties

by Freedom4Poetry



Series: Transformers Animated Slivers [3]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Decepticon in-fighting, F/M, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-08 15:12:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13460874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom4Poetry/pseuds/Freedom4Poetry
Summary: A novelisation and addition to the TFA canon comic 'Everything must go'. Set just after episode 7 'Thrill of the Hunt'. Lugnut and Blitzwing squabble before heading to Earth. The morale of the story, don't trust any 'con named Swindle.





	Spark Ties

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This short story is inspired by Mary Isenberg's short comic 'Everything Must Go' from Transformers Animated: 'The Arrival'. I have included the main events from this comic to create context for the drabble for those who haven't read it, and so I claim no ownership to the first flashback in the story.
> 
> I will say this though – transcribing this comic was the hardest part of writing this story, I had to keep proof-reading it for accuracy. But I think it was worth it.
> 
> Jargon: Servo – hand/limb (varies in usage)
> 
> Optical ridge – eyebrow
> 
> Nanoclick – 1.5 earth seconds, equivalent to a cybertronian second
> 
> Megacycle – 2.4 earth hours, equivalent to a cybertronian hour
> 
> Optic – eye
> 
> Set in Season 1

Space is hard to describe, an empty inky void, occasionally interrupted by the odd star or asteroid field, or even a planetary system. But other than that, just a silent vacuum existed, infinitely stretching to an invisible horizon, calm, peaceful and

"And zhey say I'm zhe crazy one! At least I'm not an idiot like Zwindle!" A beige jet shot past cackling alongside it's partner, purple, and another flight-former.

"True, what kind of fool thinks he can deceive the glorious Lord Megatron's top lieutenants?"

The incident, to those unaware, they referred to was Swindle's backfired racketeering. The greedy salesbot/arms dealer has taken advantage of the duo's disagreement over Megatron's disputed offlining (Lugnut declared his Lord online, Blitzwing begged to differ). So after Blitzwing had hired Lockdown to capture Optimus Prime for revenge, and once Lugnut found out, declaring him an 'Infidel' for:

A) Dealing with bounty-hunters

B) Saying Megatron was offline

And thus attacked with the vigorous passion held for his leader, smashing Blitzwing's face into the vid-screen and firing his missiles at almost point-bank range.

After Lugnut had stormed off was when the fast-talking jeep-mech slithered up to Blitzwing, who was firmly lodged in a cave wall. "Hope you don't mind my interrupting, but you look like you could use a bit of a pick-me-up." He grabbed hold of Blitzwing's chestplate and eased him up. "Swindle's the name. And I couldn't help noticing you are severely out-gunned by your friend over there."

"He's no friend of mine!" Growled Blitzwing, still in Hot-head mode. "I vill grind him into tiny, little ball bearings!" He clenched his servo as a visual aid.

"Of course I make it a point never to meddle in private affairs." Swindle leant forward in a confidential tone, smooth as distilled oil. "But I may just have a little something to help you out." At this he pulled out a huge cannon, nearly as tall as him. He raised an optical ridge, faceplate splitting in a devious one-sided smile. "Assuming, naturally, you have the credit downloads available…"

One megacycle later…

"Lugnut, I vould like to express my extreme displeasure with jour overzealous, strong-servo tactics. And now I am properly equipped to extact my revenge." Icy was in full control now as he walked through the rocky canyon to Lugnut.

He activated the cannon, pointing it at a humongous cuboid rock, dozens of times Blitzwing's and Lugnut's mass. It then began to silently levitate.

"Ha! And how do you expect to defeat me with a mere Andellorian anti-gravity cannon?" Lugnut's scorn was apparent.

"Actually, it's zhe gravity zhat vill do most of zhe damage."

Lugnut looked up – too late!

**SMASH!**

Eventually Lugnut clawed his way out from underneath his mountainous prison. "BLITZWING! You will pay for your insolence!"

But Blitzwing was nowhere to be seen, somebot else, however, was.

"Funny you should mention payment…" Lugnut spun around looking for the owner of the sleazy tone. "… what would you say if I told you I had just the thing to silence obnoxious, overbearing triple changers?" Oh yes, thought Swindle, this would be a profitable venture. "I offer a wide variety of financing options…"

Thus it began. Lugnut launched his retaliation on Blitzwing with a 'Talosian Triple Crusher Cannon!' Which, of course, crushed Blitzwing into a tangle of servos, much to Random's amusement.

"Ooh, look! Now I'm a compact! Get it? Compact? Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Which, Swindle just so happened to have just the thing for: A Torkulanian decompression pump, for a price, but with "no extra charge" a Glass Gas, and Digital Impact Mace (from the planet Dahrds, don't go there, they water down the energon), for this "temporary set-back."

Poor Lugnut, shattered into scores of pieces. "This is so humiliating."

"Oh , don't be such a protoform. A little menonian super glue and you'll be good as new." Swindle soothed Lugnut's concerns as he zipped around his client piecing him like a jigsaw back to wholeness."

And of course Swindle gave his 'loyal customer' a bomb capable of destroying a planet, and it carried you (since even Lugnut balked at the size and doubted his ability to carry it, this was a good feature) – a brilliant weapon for obliterating infidel triple changers in space – until it turned out Blitzwing owned one twice as big.

"You wouldn't dare!" Boomed Lugnut an asteroid's distance from Blitzwing.

"Try me."

**BA-DOOM!**

**BA-BA-DOOOOM!**

Their voices both rang out in perfect harmony:

"Fool! Your Doomsday weapon is useless against my Nemesis shield!"

Their optics contracted in shock, hardly able to speak for several nano-clicks.

"Swindle?" Blitzwing tried.

"You too?" Lugnut scowled.

Safe to say the arms-dealer did not get off lightly.

"Sorry folks." Swindle raised his servos in a plea for mercy as he stood trapped on the corner of one of New Kaon's flat rooftops. "No refunds on damaged goods."

"Oh ve're not looking for a refund." Hothead seemed unusually calm, but a smirk was apparent as he looked to Lugnut.

"Just an exchange." Lugnut's optic glinted with malice and revenge as his faceplate mirrored Blitzwing's.

Blitzwing landed the first punch, with Lugnut close behind.

"As in 'exchange' jour head for jour exhaust port! Jour servo for jour pelvis! Jour shock-absorbers for jour hydraulics!" Blitzwing listed off the detailed mangling of Swindle's frame.

It wouldn't offline him; just a little reminder for any future schemes Swindle might concoct involving Megatron's elite.

Now their revenge was sated Blitzwing and Lugnut had repaired their comradery, and were now flying abreast of each other, hot on the Nemesis' signal.

"So," Blitzwing tentatively began, "how did Strika take zhe news about Zwindle anyway."

There was a pregnant pause. "Not well." Lugnut admitted.

Whilst it the fight could be seen as energon under the bridge for Lugnut and Blitzwing, General Strika, Lord Megatron's personal 'General of Destruction' had another opinion on the matter. Especially since she and Lugnut were each other's consorts.

"Zhou spent nearly 43,000 credits on brawling with Blizwing."

Lugnut squirmed visibly through the vid-screen. "Yes my fearless warrior." Maybe praise of his brilliant consort will help ease her anger.

"43,000 credits, in Zwindle's account, Zwindle." Her deadpan tone belied her disbelief. Evidently praise was not going to help.

"Yes, Swindle, my glorious love, but…" Lugnut struggled for words, a rare occurrence. "Blitzwing had sullied the magnificent Lord Megatron's name," at this his servo swung up in salute at the mention of his leader, "and Swindle offered to help after Blitzwing dropped a boulder on me and…"

"Zhou trusted the self-serving scum" she spat out the last word like it had done her personal offence, "that is called Zwindle, who serves just as little loyalty to the Decepticon cause as that techno-organic turncoat."

"Yes." Lugnut was ashamed, he knew Strika despised Swindle with almost the same passion as she felt for former Autobots, and yet he still fell for the salesbot's con.

"Luckily," His beloved Strika's voice drew him from his maudlin state, "this could work in to our advantage. Like you I do not believe Lord Megatron is offline, he is far too difficult to destroy. But I do not want to draw the attention of those like Starscream by sending my own to find him, and I have far too many duties on Chaar to go on my own." She looked straight at Lugnut. "Which is why I zhall send you and Blitzwing since it seems zhour feud is over."

"Oh, what a wondrous plan she who holds my spark in her servo! You are, as always, a strategic genius! " Lugnut's joy was expressed in large, clumsy servo gestures. "We shall find our liege and return at once to New Kaon where we shall plan our reclamation of Cybertron under his command!"

"Yes, zo we zhall. Oh, and Lugnut," she called before he propelled himself out of the room, "I love zhou." Her voice was soft, with a tenderness normally hidden from the public image of a no –nonsense commander.

Lugnut smiled "I love you too."


End file.
